Candidates woo Muslim voters in Malerkotla district

Mahesh Sharma

Malerkotla, April 25

With Muslims holding the key to winnabilty in Sangrur and Fatehgarh Sahib Lok Sabha constituencies, candidates and their supporters are leaving no stone unturned to woo them.

leaders made a beeline for iftar parties

Regional leaders made a beeline for Iftar parties during Ramzan as a goodwill gesture ahead of Lok Sabha election. Several non-Muslim organisations organised Iftar parties and set up special stalls at venues of Eid celebration at Malerkotla, Amargarh and Ahmedgarh.

Even though SAD (A) chief Simranjit Singh Mann reportedly enjoy support of Muslim voters for raising issues of minorities in general and Muslims in particular, leaders of Congress, AAP and BJP are trying to woo them through active participation in their religious and social functions.

While it is a matter of record that successive governments had been granting funds to various Islamic outfits on Eid-ul-Fitr , Eid-ul-Zuha, Ramzan and Muharram, regional leaders made a beeline for Iftar parties during Ramadan as a goodwill gesture ahead of LS election. Several non-Muslim organisations organised Iftar parties and set up special stalls at venues of Eid celebration at Malerkotla, Amargarh and Ahmedgarh.

The AAP too in a bid to garner support during the ensuing election reconstituted Punjab Wakf Board and inducted members with clout in various parts of the Sangrur and Fatehgarh LS constituencies.

Contrary to earlier trends when Muslims were considered less literate, there has been a spurt in setting up educational and medical institutes in Malerkotla district. A number of Muslim bureaucrats, doctors, organisers of educational institutes and entrepreneurs are being approached by state-level leaders of almost all political parties to seek support for their respective candidates.

According to latest census, of the total population of 4,29,754 of Malerkotla district, 33.26 per cent are Muslims and 50.89 per cent are Sikhs, while Hindus are only 15.19 per cent of the total population. Presently, in Malerkotla alone, there are around 1,59,000 registered voters , with 74,000 Muslim votes and 65,000 Sikh votes, leaving Hindu voter number around 19,000.

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